Longwood student petitions to allow third party candidates into debates
At Hofstra (host of the first sham debate), students used “#pride” as cover for excusing their university’s shameful betrayal of democracy. Good to see the students at Longwood doing what good students should do–question, and protest when necessary.
FARMVILLE, Va. (WSET ) — Some say third party candidates should be in both the presidential and vice presidential debates. And a Longwood University student is working to try and make that happen.
Next week, both Mike Pence and Tim Kaine are expected to take the stage inside Blackwell Hall for a debate. It’s the first vice presidential debate being hosted at the school.
Now, Political Science major Kyle Dobry is using his First Amendment rights to help make a last minute adjustment. He’s started a petition to try and convince the commission on political debates to add one more podium on the stage come October 4. “If the Libertarian party is not on stage, you are stifling voices,” said Dobry.
Averaging at 9% in the polls, Libertarian Gary Johnson and his running mate failed to qualify for the first presidential debate and the VP debate at Longwood; 15% is the cutoff. “That still around 13 million voters about the size of the population of the entire state of Pennsylvania. You really think the CPD would tell Pennsylvania your opinion does not count?” Dobry asked.
Dobry’s petition has gained some traction on campus, last week he collected more than 200 signatures in two hours.
Junior Connor Webber was one of them; he signed off on including a third candidate.
Webber says debates allow undecided voters, like himself, to see what candidates are really about. “Candidates react under pressure and to see their true colors and what they want to do,” he said.
That’s also why freshman Harper Ward supports the petition. “A lot of kids that I am friends with don’t really know a lot of the issues that are going on and the issues that are going to be discussed,” Ward said.
Despite a looming deadline, Dobry remains hopeful. “We are asking Longwood to be heroes for the 76% of Americans who want to see Johnson, Gov. Bill Weld, or even Dr. Jill Stein on stage,”
Gary Johnson will not be attending Monday night’s Presidential debate at Hofstra University, but he will be using social media to take part in the conversation.
Texas billionaire Ross Perot is the only third party candidate CPD has allowed into the debates since 1992.
Source: Longwood student petitions to allow third party candidates into debates | WSET
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.